Coin-operated device for vending-machines.



S. L. W. COE 6L H 'I'. WERDEN.

COIN OPBRATBD DEVICE FOR VENDING MACHINES.

'APPLICATION FILED JUNBZO, 1912.

Patented May 12, 1914.

lllllilm lll/lm WTNESSES I 4 Q 74,90 1 /9 A /7 M, WMQLq/wwgmm UNTTED STATES PATENT OFFTCE.

SARA L. W. COE AND HENRIETTA T. WERDEN', OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

COIN-OPERATED DEVICE FOR VENDING-MACHINES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented M ay 12, 1914.

To all fte/0m t Imay concern Be 1t known that we, Salen L. lV. Con and HENRIETTA T. VERDEN, citizens of the VUnited States, residing` at New York, in

the county of New York and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Coin-Operated Devices for Vending-Machines; and we do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to iinprovements in vending machines and more particularly to devices operable by the insertion of coins to control the operation of the vending means-the object of our present invention being to provide simple and efficient devices in the coin chute to control the passage of coins to the trip of the vending means, said devices being constructed and adapted to permit only a plurality of coins to pass to the trip, whereby the machine will be adapted for vending articles, such as postage stamps, for which more than one cent (two cents for example) is charged.

With this object in view, the invention consists in certain novel features of construction and combinations of parts as hereinafter set forth and pointed out in the claim.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is an elevation of a stamp vending machine embodying the improvements; Fig. 2 is an elevation of the opposite side of the mechanism; Fig. 3 is a transverse vertical sectional view, and Fig. 4f is a section on the line m-- of Fig. 2.

1 represents a suitable frame, in which a feed drum 2 is mounted and to which a st-amp strip is suitably guided from a supply roll,-a shoe 3 being provided for guiding the strip over the drum and causing a stop to be projected through a slot in the frame when the feed drum is turned. A spring-pressed dog t is provided for co- Operation with pins or projections on the drum for turning the latter, and this dog is pivotally supported by an arm 5 secured to a shaft 6 mounted in the upper portion of the frame. The shaft 6 also carries an arm 7 which normally projects in line with a coin slot 8 in the top of the casing and in line with the upper end of a vertical coin chute 9. Vhen a coin is passed through the slot 8, it will engage the arm 7 and cause the shaft G to be turned and the arm 5 and dog l to be moved back against the resistance of a spring 10. The drum is engaged by a suit-able trip device connected to a shaft 11 in the lower portion of the frame, and a weighted trip arm 12 projects laterally from the shaft 11 and passes freely across the lower portion of the coin chute S). When the coins reach the trip arm and depress` the same, the feed drum will be released, and the spring 1() will, through the medium of the arm 5 and dog 11, propel said drum and cause the feeding of a stamp through the discharge slot.

The coin chute S) comprises two vertical plates spaced apart sufficiently to permit the free passages, flatwise, therethrough, of the coins. The chute is made with a laterallyprojecting portion at its upper end so as to be disposed under the coin slot S while the major portion of said chute is disposed vertically above the trip arm. In order to prevent coins from accidentally lodging in the chute, square corners between vertical and late al portions of the chute are avoided, and the spacing strip lit, which also constitutes a t 'ackway for the coin, is curved as shown in F ig. 1. The upper end of the chute is notched, as at 15, for the accommodation of the arm 7.

It is desirable to provide a stamp vending machine for two-cent stamps, and to so arrange the coin controlling devices, that the vending mechanism will be released after 'two cents have been inserted. To accomplish this by simple and efficient means, is the principal object 0f the present invention.

An arm 1G is pivotally hung on a flange 17 at one edge of the chute and normally rests with its vertical edge against the outer vertical portion of the spacing strip 14, in which position, it is normally retained by a weight 18 on said arm. The arm 16 is provided at its lower end with a curved linger 19 which passes freely through the edgewall of the chute and terminates within the latter. At its free inner end, the finger 19 is provided with a depending toe 20, which, when the arm 16 and its linger 19 are moved outwardly, will rest in a notch 2l in the edge-wall of the chute and aline with the inner face 0f the latter. The weight 18 will be such that the device will be overhalanced by the weight of two cents and permit the release of the coins. \Vhen one cent is inserted through the coin slot, the mechanism Will be set as before explained, and the cent will drop upon the free end of the finger 19, but the Weight of a single cent Will be insuilicient to move said linger ont of its path. Another cent is then inserted, and will drop upon the cent fir-st inserted. The combined Weight of the two cents upon the linger 19, Will overbalance the Weight 18, causing the linger to move back and releasing the two cents, the elongated bearing for the cents, aii'orded by the toe 20, serving to retain the finger out of the path of the cents through the chute', until both cents shall have passed. Vthen the cents shall have been released, they will drop upon the trip arm and release the Winding mecha.- nism.

Having fully described our invention, what We claim as new and desire to secure by Letters-Patent, is

In a Vending machine, the combination with an upright coin chute having a hole and a recess in one Wall, and a trip device having a part entering the lovver portion of said Chute, of a Weighted member pivotally supported on its upper end exteriorly of the chute, said Weighted member having a curved arm passing through the hole in the Wall of the chute, said arm having a depending t-oe at its free end to enter the recess in the Wall of the chute and constitute a portion of the Wall of the latter, said Weighted member constructed to be overbalanced by a plurality of coins on its curved arm.

In testimony whereof, We have signed this specification in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

` SARA L. 1V. COE.

HENRIETTA T. WERDEN `Witnesses J. P. GANNON,

ARTHUR J. HARVEY.

Copies of this patentmay be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

